Dear John, What does it mean to be a good philanthropic neighbor? In her introductory column for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Cora Daniels, senior editorial director at the Bridgespan Group, offers an answer. Donors, she says, “would need to think of themselves as part of the communities they serve — not outside charitably looking in.” Daniels, who has had a long career as a journalist and author of several books exploring race and gender, notes that philanthropy is far from adopting a neighborly approach to giving. If philanthropy considered women and girls of color true neighbors, she writes, it’s likely that more than $5.48 in philanthropic funding would be spent on each of them annually. Much would change, Daniels believes, if the collaborative approach favored by Black women leaders in philanthropy were the model for the field — a topic she will explore further in upcoming columns. Drawing on her experience at Bridgespan working with diverse and innovative nonprofits, Daniels will show us what effective leadership and action can look like. In the process, she’ll give us all something to aspire to. Look for more from Daniels in the months ahead as she joins the Chronicle's growing group of regular opinion columnists, including Eboo Patel, president of Interfaith America, and Craig Kennedy, former president of the Joyce Foundation and the German Marshall Fund. Please reach out to me or Deputy Opinion Editor Nandita Raghuram at opinions@philanthropy.com if you have ideas for a guest essay. To stay up-to-date on everything we publish, sign up for our free Philanthropy Today newsletter and consider a subscription to the Chronicle. As a subscriber, you’ll have access to all of our opinion articles, as well as news, trends, and analysis of the social sector, while supporting our growing nonprofit newsroom. Thank you for turning to us for critical information about the field and for everything you do to advance the common good. Amy Saltzman Opinion Editor |
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